1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a pallet body for travelators comprising a treadplate having toothed front and rear edges, connecting elements for receiving and guiding connecting and/or drive members as well as treadplate supporting elements for receiving and guiding leading and trailing pallet bodies includes corresponding components, the connecting elements being produced integrally with the treadplates and the treadplate supporting elements being arranged underneath and protruding beyond the front and rear edges of the treadplate by a specified distance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
DE-C 33 37 611 relates to a passenger and freight travelator system comprising an endless treadplate track having deflection in the horizontal axis, as well as either a free or roller carrying traction chain and treadplates including traction and tow pins which are arranged corner-near in the corresponding opposite position. The passenger and freight system can freely carry either rollers and the traction pins in addition to the traction chain and directly supports or comprises indirectly supporting, traction pins in traction chains mounted with idler rollers and bifurcated overclasping treadplate supporting elements which are secured by the tow pins. The traction and tow pins adaptable to the system in each case are replaceable for a treadplate which is the same irrespective of the system concerned and the treadplate rollers or bifurcated treadplate supporting elements of all treadplates are provided in-line with each other parallel to the treadplate track direction between the treadplate sidewalls and the inner links of the traction chain. In this travelator system it is an advantage that a pallet body can be put to use irrespective of the type of travelator concerned (department store/transportation travelator), the disadvantage being that the pallet body comprises a plurality of components which in the end do not result in an inconsiderable diversification of the pallet as a whole or of the travelator which ultimately translates into increased labor and related costs. On top of this each and every pallet body needs to be preassembled (shop assembly) before it can be incorporated (in site assembly) in the corresponding travelator. A further disadvantage of this system are the relatively large radii to be negotiated in the inclined/horizontal transition zones, the fulcrum being located in the region of the forks outside of the pallet bodies, resulting in inadmissable wide gaps, especially in zones of horizontal/inclined transition and vice-versa.
Furthermore, travelator pallet bodies are typically manufactured by casting such that connecting elements as well as treadplate supporting elements are formed integrally with the treadplates. Although pallet bodies produced in this way are economical, they have the drawback in that large gaps result due to the connecting elements and the treadplate supporting elements being arranged beneath the treadplates. These large gaps materialize particularly in the critical zones of inclined/horizontal transition as smaller radii have the prospect of being used at these locations. Accordingly, it is typical of this prior art that the overall length of the travelator cannot be reduced which ultimately results in increased costs. Due to the connecting elements being open downwards it is furthermore a problem to incorporate the pallet bodies directly in the travelator, thus resulting in increased labor being required for installation.